Slopes and sleep in Queenstown

Adventure capital Queenstown is filled with thrills and spills throughout the year. While it comes to life in ski season with plenty of world-class terrain, Queenstown's scenery is the setting for countless other outdoor activities, including long bouts of leisure.

Choose a hotel with stunning interiors to match the external grandeur, such as the 5-star Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa, Mantra Marina Queenstown, Peppers Beacon or Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa. There are unlimited apres ski apartments, cosy lodges and quaint bed and breakfasts to suit your needs, whether you're a powder hound or prefer a night of fine-dining in town.

Colourful, cultural Christchurch

The largest city on the South Island, Christchurch is a cultural hub filled with modern museums, markets, a vibrant nightlife scene and a calendar of arty festivals. There is always time for quiet reprieve in Christchurch – a city famous for its gardens – like taking a punt down the Avon River.

New Zealand South Island accommodation often comes in the form of comfortable motels and boutique bed and breakfasts in Christchurch. Enjoy a luxury Edwardian stay at Dyers House or the Italian-influenced Classic Villa, choose convenience at the Novotel Cathedral Square or take some time out at Peppers Clearwater Resort.

A slice of Scotland in Dunedin

Fiercely proud of its Scots heritage, Dunedin is aptly known as the "Edinburgh of the South". This quaint university town attracts visitors keen to tramp the pristine bush tracks, tour the Cadbury Chocolate Factory and take in the windswept beauty of the Otago Peninsula.

Take your pick of plenty of mid-range motels – especially viable if you're seeing the South Island with your own set of wheels – or enjoy the personal service at a charming bed and breakfast like Hazel House. Better yet, spoil yourself and your travel partner at the sprawling Camp Estate country lodge or Bluestone On George.